Kansas City Chiefs strong safety Eric Berry missed almost all of the 2017 season. David Eulittdeulitt@kcstar.com

Kansas City Chiefs strong safety Eric Berry missed almost all of the 2017 season. David Eulittdeulitt@kcstar.com

After the Chiefs and three other teams were knocked out of the playoff field last weekend, a Washington Post writer ranked the chances for improvement next season for each franchise.

Mike Renner wrote that the Chiefs have the worst chance of those four teams (the others are the Panthers, Rams and Bills) to be better next season.

Renner began by saying the Chiefs defense lacked depth and many of the starters received “subpar grades.”

“Even former all-pro safety Eric Berry is no lock to return to his previous form,” Renner wrote. “He’ll turn 30 next year and is rehabbing a torn Achilles. Tamba Hali (34 years old) and Derrick Johnson (35) are squarely in the twilight of their careers.

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“The question now becomes, how do they restock? They’ve struck out mightily outside of their top picks in the draft, and their cap situation is one of the worst in the league. As it stands, they’re currently over the projected cap in 2018. Even after some cap-shedding maneuvers, it’s impossible to think free agency is a realistic option for them. It also means that even after a career-high 87.2 grade from Alex Smith, he and his $20.6 million cap hit next season could be out the door. With the uncertainty at QB and a declining defense, the Chiefs are a regression candidate in 2018.”

If you were wondering, there is no mention of Patrick Mahomes.

While down on the Chiefs, Renner is bullish on the Rams’ chances. You can read more here.